Editorial Content for Dreadnought (Nemesis Book One)
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Fifteen-year-old Danny Tozer has spent the majority of her life trying to hide the fact that she is transgender, but when Dreadnought, the world’s most famous superhero, falls from the sky and dies right in front of her, he passes along his superpower. Danny’s body suddenly transforms itself to match the ideal body of her dreams. Now, there’s no hiding her true self, and Danny must face her abusive father, her best friend and her entire school --- oh, and she has to learn to control her newfound superpowers, too.
"DREADNOUGHT is a truly unique novel. In a world where superhero stories are becoming increasingly available, there are certain tropes that are far too overused, but debut author April Daniels manages to take those tropes and make them feel fresh."
DREADNOUGHT is a truly unique novel. In a world where superhero stories are becoming increasingly available, there are certain tropes that are far too overused, but debut author April Daniels manages to take those tropes and make them feel fresh. Readers are used to seeing their favorite heroes attempting to strike a delicate balance between their “regular” life and their super life, but this novel delves even deeper into this idea. Danny must deal with several social issues including transphobia and parental abuse. I felt Danny’s pain when her father and mother refused to accept her. Her father’s determination to change Danny’s body back and how his actions leave lingering emotional scars that affect how Danny acts both as a superhero and in her “regular” life were some of the most well-written and engaging aspects of the story. Daniels creates and engaging story world in which Danny must face discrimination both as a transwoman and as a superhero. I also loved Danny’s burgeoning friendship with her gun-slinging fellow superhero, Calamity.
The only time I found myself losing interest was during the few somewhat drawn-out action sequences. Of course, an author can’t tell a superhero story without a climactic battle against evil through a crowded city, but I cared so much more about Danny’s relationships with the other characters than an explosion-fueled big-bad battle. Although, it was interesting to see the truly dire consequences of these action sequences --- something that often is missing in purely action-driven superhero tales. These consequences make me eager to want to read the next installment of this series. Daniels has set up an intriguing story world filled with flawed, real characters that I want to learn more about. DREADNOUGHT is perfect for fans who want a little bit more from their superhero comics, television shows or films. Any fan of young adult novels will also surely find something to love in this endearing first installment in what looks to be a very promising new series.
Teaser
Danny Tozer has a problem: she just inherited the powers of Dreadnought, the world’s greatest superhero. Until Dreadnought fell out of the sky and died right in front of her, Danny was trying to keep people from finding out she’s transgender. But before he expired, Dreadnought passed his mantle to her, and those secondhand superpowers transformed Danny’s body into what she’s always thought it should be. Now there’s no hiding that she’s a girl. It should be the happiest time of her life, but Danny’s first weeks finally living in a body that fits her are more difficult and complicated than she could have imagined.
